Multiplayer was touted to be the biggest addition to the franchise and it does not disappoint.

There's a surprising amount of strategy involved in fighting the zombies, especially when dealing with more than one.

At heart, Shadow of the Colossus seems to me a bit like the work of a Transcendentalist in that it begs us to examine the world the hero lives in and leaves us unsure of whether we made the correct choice in our interactions with nature.

While I do not feel it takes the accepted throne of stealth action games, Splinter Cell is highly polished, and extremely solid as a game.

I hate to sound like an EA Sports poster boy, but NCAA is a must-have for any sports gamer.

Crysis has been on the receiving end of a lot of hype for quite some time now, so there has been tons of pressure for the game to perform well. By and large it has. It looks very good, and the gameplay is solid with some fun new tweaks thrown in.

Throws in some streamlined role-playing elements such as basic item gathering and earning experience points. But you'd never mistake NG for a role-playing game because most role-playing games don't require the reflexes of a mongoose.

Simply put, God of War: Chains of Olympus is an amazing title.

"Madden 2004" may include more realistic gameplay and statistics, but ESPN is a much more satisfying experience when breaking down the purpose of games in the first place. To be fun.

From the tip of the shiny helmets to the grass-wedged cleats, NCAA Football 2003 is a marvel to behold.

There’s certainly enough in the multiplayer portion of Killzone 2 to extend its shelf life beyond the relatively quick single-player Campaign and makes it worth your time.

Did I thoroughly enjoy Halo: Reach? Yes, very much so. Will I ever watch a cut scene from this game ever again? No. Will this game continue to remain in high play rotation on my Xbox? Very yes.

In spite of its issues, Mass Effect is still a completely entrancing blend of two completely different genres, the likes of which we really haven't seen on the consoles since Deus Ex.

The combination of style, wit, creativity, spycraft, cool locations, great gadgets and the overall sense of fun make this one a must have for FPS fans and a recommended game for casual gamers.

The God of War Collection is the equivalent of Disney releasing a remastered version of Snow White: you know precisely what you're getting (because you've probably already seen it) but it looks and sounds so good you can't help but pull out your wallet to buy it again.

Batman: Arkham City is one of those games that rightly garnered much attention with the end of 2011 Game of the Year lists. Maybe it didn't get as much attention from PC gamers, but it should. If you want to have the definitive Arkham City experience, I'd say PC is the way to go.

Batten down the hatches, let the answering machine do its thing, and keep some snack food on standby, because Planescape Torment is one of those RPGs with such a deep, rich story that it demands every ounce of the players attention.

For a series known for addictive nail-biting shootouts as well as breathtaking visuals, this third and possibly final act to the Xbox 360's first mega blockbuster is a fitting end to one of the most definitive multiplayer experiences in our current console generation.

A brilliant and highly polished RPG masterpiece.

I can’t recommend Arkam Asylum enough.

Every convention of the FPS genre is done to perfection, tweaked, and then turned on its ear. Only the multi-player options of the game disappoint. Still, if the game featured no multiplayer options at all, it does so many things right that it would still be in the running for Game of the Year.

In the end what I was left with after my first play-through was the longest lasting RPG experience I've had in years, and possibly the most emotionally involving computer RPG I've ever played.

Gorgeous graphics, dazzling audio, a charming storyline and overall appealing game play -- and it all fits neatly inside your pocket!

Overall, this world is one you are not going to want to miss and I highly recommend it.

Without a doubt the finest WWII game released this year, and if other gamers agree a prime contender for the PC Game of the Year.

Regardless of whether one is playing the game alone, or online with a few other people there is a ton of fun to be had with this game, and it should be in every DS owner’s library.

Assassin's Creed II is a fun game and I recommend it.

A racing video gamers fantasy fulfilled nevertheless, with tight controls, a good variety of tracks, a garage full of excellent looking vehicles and picturesque cityscapes, and great online gameplay through Live that any Live subscriber will immediately appreciate.

As much fun as the original game and its family of expansion packs were, Sims 2’s gameplay is an incredible leap forward that veteran Sims players and newcomers alike will thoroughly enjoy.

One area the game is really stellar is the challenge given by the CPU artificial intelligence. This game pushes you and makes you sweat to win, especially when it comes to contests against ranked opponents and when squaring off in a rivalry game.

Far Cry 3 is a terrific and is one of the best games I've played in a long time. Far Cry 3's main draw is the deep and engaging campaign, but the multiplayer modes are also serviceable enough to keep you playing for a long time.

Although it could’ve used an easier difficulty setting for the single player mode, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter is otherwise one of the best action-strategy games to come out in a long time.

All in all, FIFA 12 is another spectacular game in the series. The differences between this game and the real thing continue to be chipped away at, and with the depth of material available in this title you can really submerge yourself into beautiful game.

It's chock-a-block full of action, strategy, humor, mini-games, it'll take many hours to finish, and Luigi finally gets some props.

The new game is fascinating, but, for the first time, I found myself thinking back fondly to the previous games in the series.

With lots of hours to spend exploring and a great combat system this purchase is money well spent.

Although the story gets lost on its trip down the highway of quality with plot holes along with a sometimes too-unlikable cast of Harley-loving ruffians, druggies, murderers and criminals, the first DLC content for GTA IV is still a solid game that gives full-price gameplay for a discount price.

The graphics are much improved from the original NBA Street. The graphics look sharper and the player detail is incredible.

Black & White is one of the games you will remember 10 years from now as a turning curve for PC gaming. Thank you Peter Molyneux and Lionhead Studios, this game has certainly been something fresh and new.

The whole game is so imaginative, hilarious and exciting, that it makes Mario (the very pioneer of this genre) and his talking hose seem incredibly flaccid my comparison.

Phantom Hourglass won't disappoint fans. It has all of the core elements that has made the Zelda series so popular, while also breathing new life into it by introducing intuitive touch screen controls.

An absolute must have for any serious hockey fanatic.

Even if you already own the GBA version of THPS2 go out and buy this terrific title that more than does justice to the long lineage of Pro Skating greatness that has preceded it.

Dual Strike does just about everything right – in fact, the only thing I can really complain about is that it sucked up (well, currently still sucking-up) huge blocks of my time.

Portal can be bought separately or as part of the Orange Box package – Half-Life 2, Episodes 1 and 2, and Team Fortress 2 – but either way you get one of the best gaming experiences of the year.

Never have I played a Star Wars game that so captures the films – the feeling of actually taking part in the events of the original Trilogy.

An improvement over its predecessor and is maybe even more fun.

A good game for people who like to immerse themselves in their play, but is definitely not for casual gamers.

With its extensive list of events and near unlimited replay value, Burnout Revenge still maintains the visceral carnage that fans (and angered commuters) everywhere have come to expect.

Episode 2 is an awesome example of packing various kinds of gameplay into a compressed time span without the whole thing descending into a discombobulated mess.

MVP Baseball 2004 has the most accurate and authentic gameplay experience and the most in-depth franchise mode setting the bar higher for other developers.

Not only is this the greatest THPS yet, but as always is one of the year’s best games. Period.

But LIMBO is easily among the best XBLA titles of the year that anybody who plays it won't soon forget for its magnificent art design, tough puzzles and dismally sad story.

With a visual downgrade and a quieter audio track, there is definitely something lost in the translation, and with Liberty City and Vice City Stories performing much more adequately, this PSP port may not have enough weight to keep it from drowning in obscurity.

Dead Space 2 is enjoyable. It's a great action title but it's the deeper, complicated facets of the game that firmly puts it in the running for Game of Year, even this early in 2011.

A game that gets everything right; the puzzles are just hard enough to be a challenge without being too frustrating, the presentation pleasing and the control spot-on.

This is Okami's third appearance. It began on Playstation 2, was ported to Wii, and now we have the high-definition version. If you missed out previously, there's really no reason why you couldn't drop $20 on Okami now. It was originally released back in 2006, but it's one of those games that is standing the test of time extremely well.

It seems strange to say it, but I wish Super Mario 3D Land was more difficult. That's it's biggest fault at the end of the day. More than half the game is a cakewalk, an entertaining cakewalk, but a cakewalk nonetheless.

You should play Metroid Prime 3: Corruption to experince one of the best games available on Wii and one of the top games 2007 has produced (to date).

Will satisfy multiplayer junkies’ needs but will leave single player fanatics wanting more.

Gearhead gamers will thoroughly enjoy the true-to-life car behaviors and the ability to modify cars to unlimited extremes.

For all the myriad ways that Human Revolution comes up short, it excels in a single point: you are immersed in the setting.

An excellent game, one that has restored my enthusiasm for the comic characters of old and their exciting, ideologically simple-minded pursuit of life, liberty and happiness.

With Madden on Xbox Live and EA's own network playing so well on the PS2, it is hard to recommend the GameCube version to anyone who owns the other two systems. Still, if the GameCube is the only system you own, Madden 2005 is a great purchase.

Empire: Total War is not for the historically faint of heart. It's a sumptuous feast that has a lot of meat to it, though the meat could use a good carving knife to go with it.

The presentation is probably the best in any sports game out on the market. You can truly see the ESPN integration in the game. The cut scenes are beautiful and commentating is great.

Between the story, the beautiful graphics, music score, and the insanely enthralling card game mini-game, Final Fantasy VIII does the series proud.

Raven has done a fantastic job bringing Star Wars to life, especially with the small touches like the familiar war room from A New Hope.

If you had any doubts that Halo 2 is the ultimate Xbox Live title, this map pack will make you a true believer.

A very solid launch title for the Xbox 360 but there’s still room for improvement, like some kind of enveloping physics engine.

The brilliant twist of the encouragement to crash cars for gaming pleasure and reward pushes the petal to the metal and zooms Burnout Revenge past the average racing game.

It's one of those titles that is equal parts nostalgia, new content, and addictive play that is the hallmark of so many "instant" classic games nowadays.

It looks amazing. But this game isn’t just a pretty face, the deep gameplay and replay value catapult this title head and shoulders above the crowd.

Graphically, it is a step above the PS2 as there is less flicker in the background and less aliasing in general. It is missing the graphical improvements given the Xbox version, however.

Simply an addictive and adorable game that does a wonderful job evoking the same sense of wonder many of us first experienced on our childhood trips to Oz, Narnia, or Middle Earth.

It's everything good to be expected from a basketball game, plus loads of customization.

The best role-playing game I have played in years. It features wonderful graphics, a compelling main plot, an immense number of subplots, and all the micro-management a pen-and-paper role-playing game (RPG) geek could ever want.

From the amazingly vast landscape to the equally impressive NPC interaction to the first-rate story to the many, many choices and gameplay freedom it presents to gamers, to the co-op that will have gamers coming back for return visits to Albion long after the revenge on Lucien has been satisfyingly taken, Fable II is a stellar and engrossing RPG of the highest order.

Unlike EA’s NHL games, which have generally put an emphasis on offense, NHL 2K3 is a much more balanced game. Most players will not score an average of 10 goals a game in NHL 2K3.

While playing offline or split-screen isn't as fun as playing with a two or three friends online -- Left 4 Dead thrives on camaraderie -- so that's probably your only consideration when purchasing the game, because everything else is too awesome to miss.

When the storms kick up on Hard Rain making it really easy to startle a wandering Witch, escaping the mall in Dead Center, running around a rollercoaster track in Dark Carnival, running a gauntlet of abandoned vehicles across the bridge in The Parish, reviving a dead Survivor in Swamp Fever as a Tank could be heard somewhere behind me and managing to down the Tank with the guy I just saved. Even just writing about it makes me want to jump in and play some more.

It’s clear that Sega used the learning experience of the Dreamcast’s SegaNet online gaming to its utmost advantage, because the seamless and lag-free gameplay provided by NHL 2K3 is simply fire-on-ice marvelous.

Great fun, high replayability, good control, attention to detail, interesting story, high production values, and a great gameplay experience – Jade Empire comes recommended.

At the end of the day, F-Zero GX is a speed-freaks dream come true. On top of being fast, Fast, FAST, FZ has great racing options, insane tracks, snappy control, a brilliant customize feature, and the ever-important fun factor.

To sum it up, Dark Souls and its predecessor may be the most definitive example of what makes a videogame "Hardcore." There will be many deaths and many flaring tempers that may require a day or two of meditation to attempt jumping back in, but like an abusive lover, Dark Souls wins you back every time just before it delivers another bitch-slap to your face…and you just may learn to love it.

It's truly excellent to finally be able to play NBA Street V3 on Xbox Live.

However, despite the story and characters being a bit dullish and uninteresting, GTA gamers are given a definitive reason to see this three-part story to its conclusion with the core GTA gameplay – replete with the standard vehicle manslaughter opportunity gamers have come to know (and in many cases love) ? remaining as gratifyingly volatile and as ever.

GBA owners and Zelda fans won't be disappointed.

This game is so good, it's almost impossible to think that there's a possibility that the NCAA Football series can improve.

What really makes the game work so well is the pacing of the combat, coupled with a story that one actually wants to experience.

Walking Dead isn't just Game of the Year material, it's one of those touchstone games that will continue to be referenced years from now.

It’s slick, entertaining, and fun to watch – just like any good action movie. I recommend it, especially for John Woo, Matrix fans, and those that want a mouse pad that comes with a game!

With some very well laid out levels, solid gameplay, and nice functional visuals, PS2 owners are presented with a fantastic title worthy of a place in their library.

The graphics are great, the soundtracks fit the action, the sense of speed is incredible, the online modes add some depth, and the destruction is awesome.

Team Bondi created a technical masterpiece with L.A. Noire. The problem is that they didn't create an artistic or even entertaining masterpiece.

The realism is helped tremendously by the solid physics engine present within Crytech's Cryengine. I got untold hours of joy out of just pushing things and watching them roll or bounce down a hill.

As much as Dead Space should be a big mess for mixing genres and borrowing so many ideas and gameplay mechanics from other games, it manages to stand on its own as an extremely good game, especially for a new IP.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a worthy tribute to its progenitor and hopefully the start of something brand new for players who've been dying to get a good squad-based strategy game that lets them not only think, but feel as well.